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KnightWRX posted the below quote in response to my stating that I felt that Google has been behaving like the new "Big Brother", more so than even Microsoft had been referred to in years past. He has twice tried to correct my opinion, saying that such a reference is not a metaphor, as I have claimed it to be, but is instead hyperbole.

Again, you can turn off the telescreen. It's an hyperbole, not a metaphor. If you read and understood 1984, you'd know Google has no where near the influence or power of information control and disruption that Big Brother has.

Actually is is not a hyperbole as used. (however, had it been, the correct grammar in your response would have been to say "a" hyperbole, not "an" hyperbole.

A hyperbole would be a deliberate exaggeration, such as; "It weighs a ton" or "he embraced her a thousand times". It is not a comparison of one thing to another, which is a metaphor. Such as "the road is a ribbon", "all the world's a stage", or "Google is the new "big brother". It describes a subject by asserting that there is a point of comparison to some other subject or object. There need only be a point of comparison, not everything about one needs to be identical to the other. So Google need not be a state government or possess the same power of information control as Orwell's "Big Brother" for it to be compared, metaphorically, to "Big Brother".

Perhaps you seem to forget Apple's own brilliant use of the same metaphor in it's ground-breaking "1984" commercial, generally considered directed at IBM. So I would say that "Big Brother" metaphor comparisons to subjects other than governments identical to that described in "1884" is fairly well demonstrated. Again, there need only be a point of comparison for it to be a metaphor. My point of comparison is Google's extensive collection of data, frequently surreptitiously, on private citizens engaged in private activities.

Finally, your efforts to discredit my post and at times others OP's I have noticed, through derogatory remarks, such as; "Again, you can turn off the telescreen.", or "You know, people should actually read George Orwell's 1984 before trying to use it as a reference for anything" simply show weakness in your argument, if not in your character. You know nothing about me, including viewing habits of the "telescreen", what I have read (yes I have read "1984" or my professional endeavors. So attacks on those personal aspects of me are truly rooted in ignorance.
 
People who care about privacy do.

Oh big deal, they'll get a very inaccurate location of my house.

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But you see, that's what Google wants. Just your IP and browser's user-agent. They can build a profile off just that, they don't actually need to know who you are nor do they really care (though it gives them that much more info to work with).

With your IP and user-agent, they can essentially see what you like by accumulating your site visits. Macrumors, Apple Insider, Cult of Mac, Engadget, AllthingsD, WSJ... ok, they won't be feeding you Android ads, they'll be pushing your banner and ad views to their Mac/iOS accessories vendors.

They also don't sell this info to let's say Speck. Speck comes up to them, asks to place an ad for a new iPad case. Google says : "yep, got just the guys to push it too". Then they push you that ad on about every site you visit thanks to just your IP and user-agent matching the profile of a total Apple fanboy with probably 2 metric tons of Apple gear that needs Speck cases to keep it good looking.

That's how it works really. There's no big conspiracy, no shady backdoor deals "hey, Speck, want to know FaroZ06 ? We gotz da Scoopz mangd". Google doesn't "sell" the info, they sell ad placement based on the information they have. They'd be nuts to sell that kind of stuff!

Exactly. It's all about getting the right ads to the right people.
 
It should have been more. Google and Facebook especially or companies who abuses their power and take the piss with user privacy and data control.
 
A measly 22 million...

Agreed. Given how much cash Google has and its insatiable desire to access our data, the fine is small enough to be deemed a cost of doing business. Google should have been forced, in addition to the $22 million fine, to pay every user of Safari (they know who we are) an agreed sum ($1000.00) for violating our privacy. You best believe that they wouldn't do that again.
 
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